I'm such a fat fuckin chud @chudvalentine - Tumblr Blog

Jul 9

Chapter 2: Animal Farm

Pairing: Geto, Sukuna, Toji, Kashimo, Mahito, Kenjaku, Choso, Naoya, Yandere!Gojo x Reader

Tags: Porn With Plot, Cunnilingus, Attempted Oviposition, Oviposition, Male Lactation, Dry Humping, Blow Jobs, Creampie, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Warnings: Referenced Cannibalism, Misogyny (from Naoya), Drugging, Forced Prostitution and relationships, Noncon

Summary: You're at a road block in life where an arranged marriage proposal to a loveless marriage is your only option left. That is, until your offered a job opportunity at Mr. Gojo's Ranch where exotic, undesirable, or hard-to-adopt hybrids are given a loving home. Despite his kind-hearted soul everyone has to earn their keep here, even you.

Inspired by Mr. A's farm and Cloud Meadow

Notes: Reader is a cis woman with she/her pronouns. No specific body type or race is given. Also you're broke.

Word count: 20.9k

Cross posted on ao3

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |

Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Ending

Warm sun beamed down on your face, easing you from sleep. You felt unusually well-rested as you sat up, only to panic that your bedside alarm hadn't gone off. You blindly reached to the side to check the time, but your clock wasn't there either. That's when the memory of last night's dinner resurfaced, reminding you that you hadn't slept in your cramped little apartment.

You looked down at Satoru's shirt and a fresh wave of shame rolled over you. The way you'd practically drooled over your own boss last night. A boss you hadn't even known for a full day. You peeled his shirt off and headed for the shower.

The soap in here is his, so I'm going to smell like him for a while. That's not weird. Maybe I'll get him to use my soap so we'll be twinsies.

You cringed at that idea and forced yourself to wash. When you were finished moisturizing and drying off you realized, to your dismay, you didn't have a change of underwear. Sure, reusing your bra was fine, but your panties were out of the question. That's when you remembered the pair of boxers you'd spotted while digging through the drawers yesterday.

He had to have known I can't rewear everything from yesterday, right? Would he even care? No, I'm being way too familiar with him.

Decision made, you put on almost everything from yesterday. It felt strange knowing you'd be walking around all day with nothing on underneath, but it was just for today.

This… this is fine.

You took a deep breath to settle your nerves and tried a little cognitive reappraisal before facing him.

I just haven't been around men platonically in ages. I was never even allowed a boyfriend unless he was pre-approved. He's an attractive man, sure, but were my thoughts last night actually that out of line? Did he notice me staring? Did he think I was being inappropriate, or-

It wasn't working and if anything, it was making things worse. You heard him moving around downstairs and bit your lip anxiously, when a light bulb went off.

Stop psychoanalyzing every little thing and just pretend he has a girlfriend.

You got up and marched downstairs with newfound confidence and were greeted by the sight of Satoru frying eggs. A pot of rice steamed beside him and on the table were slices of melon cut into cute shapes. His hair was still damp from his morning shower, and he was wearing grey sweatpa-

I don't think so.

Hearing your footsteps, he turned around to greet you. Last night, his sheer presence would have had you shyly averting your gaze, too meek to even look your employer in the eye. But today, you were a confident professional employee, ready to draw a thick line between your work and private life.

"Morning, Satoru." You greeted him politely.

"Mornin'." He answered in a deep, raspy tone, his voice still rough with sleep.

You hated to admit it, but his morning voice was unfairly hot. Still, you mentally commended yourself for not tripping over your words. You closed the distance to peer over at his cooking.

"Eggs over rice, and there's melon if you want some.” He offered, gesturing with the spatula. “Been meaning to break in that shape cutter for ages."

Standing this close, the fresh scent of his eucalyptus soap wafted off his skin. Realizing that meant you were standing way too close, you quickly retreated to a chair and picked up a piece of heart-shaped melon. You couldn't deny it, your new boss was insanely attractive, but at least you weren't eye-fucking him today.

You just needed time to get used to him.

He finished at the stove and placed a steaming bowl in front of you. You took a bite, suppressing a moan at how the starchy taste of the rice paired with the creamy egg yolk. Satoru rounded the counter and sat in the chair beside yours, pulling out his smartphone.

"I could show you photos of them, but I'd rather see your genuine reaction. I'll send you a map of the ranch later. For now-" He pulled up the map and leaned in so you could see, his shoulder pressing softly against yours. "We have eight adult hybrids living on the property. A few of them actually have kids, but almost all the younger ones are away at college. Actually, the only two who aren't are packing up today."

“College?" You said in surprise. "That's incredible...but pretty rare for hybrids, isn't it?”

"It is." He pinched a juicer slice of melon off your plate. "I adopted them along with their parents. Sponsored the kids' education so they aren't spontaneously adopted by a jealous peer."

"That's really kind of you, Satoru."

He paused and looked at you skeptically, before he gave you a tender smile.

"Don't make it sound noble." He returned to the map as his cheeks blushed. "I just don't like watching potential go to waste. Now, before we head out, I should run through your duties. You'll be in charge of cleaning, feeding, playing, resupplying, and grooming."

Your spoon stalled in your bowl. Playing? You had to play around with a bunch of grown men all day? What did they even do for fun? Hell, how many of them were even in your age demographic?

He gave you a weak smile. "The hybrids love it here. They feel safe, they're treated with dignity, and they get to choose whether they want to be adopted, but…" He trailed off, choosing his next words carefully. "They've all got strong personalities that clash. It's a miracle Suguru can share a habitat with Kenjaku. Most of them would rather avoid each other entirely, so they don't socialize much. I try to be there for them, but I'm stretched so thin I just don't have the time."

You nodded in understanding. Your old friends were massive freeloaders, but when was the last time you'd even hung out with them?

"So you want me to hang out with all of them?"

"Pretty much. Some of them-" He tilted his head. "Okay, most of them are abrasive. Don't take it personally. Even somewhere safe like this, hybrids can be sensitive around non-hybrids. You understand that, right?"

You nodded grimly. The humanitarian crisises surrounding hybrids was appalling. Some wanted to live independently, but society treated them all as livestock, valuing them only for their labor or resources. Far worse, the black market for exotic body parts meant rare hybrids were routinely hunted, mutilated, or killed. You couldn't blame them for keeping their guard up.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll treat them with nothing but respect." You affirmed, determined not to let them down.

Satoru’s smile returned. His large hand twitched on the counter, looking as though he was about to cover yours. Instead, he hesitated, opting to pick up a piece of melon and pop it into his mouth.

"So cleaning. You'll just handle anything they can't get to themselves. Shouldn't be hard. They're all weirdly particular about keeping their spaces tidy. Or, sorry their territories." He snorted.

"Territories? Don't you own the ranch?"

"That's what I keep saying!" He laughed, bumping his knee into your thigh.

Girlfriend. Pretend he has a girlfriend.

"Next is feeding. You'll deliver some of their food and make sure they're getting proper nutrition. They've all got their own tastes you'll have to learn. As for one of them." He exhaled through his nose. "He's high-maintenance and has got these weird, traditional standards. I don't want to dig into his baggage, but you'll have to cook a hot meal for him every day."

It made sense. Some exotic breeds were kept strictly as status symbols by the ultra-wealthy, raised in affluent, highly-structured environments where they were worshiped for their rare traits. Then again, it might have nothing to do with his breed. Maybe he was just an ass.

“As for the playing, that’s actually the main reason why I hired you. The last caretaker prioritized one hybrid way too much. I had to let her go after she tried to, uh, kidnap him.” He chuckled dryly, shaking his head at the memory.

"Is she in jail? Should I be watching out for her?"

"No.” He said, voice cold as ice. “She won't be coming back."

Then, as quick as it left, the warmth slid into his voice again.

"But I know I won't have to worry about that with you, right?"

"Of course not, Satoru. Where would I even keep a grown man?" You shrugged. "I'd have to hire some big, scary guard dog or something."

He laughed too long, and a touch too hard but it made you feel good he found you funny anyway.

“Playing means something different for each guy. You'll just have to ask and figure out their boundaries. Resupplying is the easiest part. I trusted them with my black card once, and they accidentally bought the neighboring property. Good investment, but a massive headache. You have a pre-approved purchasing list, but if they request something off-book, I’m trusting your best judgment.”

I just got hired and he already trusts me this much.

“Lastly, grooming. They are fully capable of washing themselves, but I still want you to offer to help. They put up anti-social fronts, but they're pack animals at heart. Having someone consistent to take care of them is good for their mental health.”

You knew that was a standard requirement. When you were still trapped under your stepfather's thumb, he forced you to volunteer at the local luxury hybrid shelters to make his company look charitable. Because of that nudity while bathing didn't bother you like regular nudity did. While they could clean themselves, every hybrid you’d ever met deeply craved the intimacy of being groomed by a trusted handler. You secretly always found the instinct endearing.

He reached into his pocket and slid a smartphone across the table.

“I saw how cracked your old phone was and remembered I had this extra one lying around the office. It's factory reset, but I added my number in.”

You stared at it. Your current phone had to stay plugged into the charger just to run Tetris. With this, you could probably play Tetris and listen to music.

"Go wild. I don't mind." He bit into a heart-shaped cut of melon.

Noticing both of your plates were empty, you quickly gathered the dishes and carried them to the sink. Before Satoru could even open his mouth to protest, you already had the water running.

“I won't lie, having someone else in the house is peachy." He said softly, stepping right beside you and taking the rinsed plates from your hands. "Someone else to cook and clean for a change."

Your heart began to beat faster.

"You live alone? In this house, I mean." Your voice wavered.

“Yep.” he said, popping the 'p' with a smirk.

Oh no.

"That last caretaker I mentioned? She used to lie and claimed she lived in town. Really she'd sneak in just to sleep with her precious 'Kitty-Kuna.'" Satoru mocked in a high-pitched, feminine whine. "Running this place hasn't left me much of a personal life. Gets pretty lonely at night."

Oh no!

"Last thing." He dried his hands on a towel. "Choso and Mahito are both nocturnal. I asked them to stay up today so you could meet everyone, so cut them some slack if turn in early. They're never awake this late. Other than that? They're all dying to meet you."

🃜 🃚 🃖 🃁 🂭 🂺 🀣 🀦 🃋 🃜 🃚 🃖 🃁 🂭 🂺 🀣

The ranch was dazzling under the morning sun, the light stretching across the grounds to reveal just how vast they truly were.

Stepping off the porch, you took in a breathtaking sweep of vibrant green pastures that seemed to swallow the horizon. Off to the side, the still waters of the lake lapped at the grassy shore, while the faint silhouette of a barn-house loomed in the distance.

Satoru fell into step beside you. The dewy scent of morning ozone hung in the air, barely masking the clean eucalyptus scent that rolled off his skin.

As you walked, he kept bumping into you. You adjusted your path, but a few paces later it happened again. Miffed, you bumped him back but you were basically shoving against a brick wall. He chuckled at your efforts but played hardball, refusing to even give you a pity push.

"Toji usually stalks the tree line around this time of day." Satoru mused, casually shoving his hands into his pockets. "He's got two kids, Megumi and Tsumiki, but you'd be lucky to ever see them since college life got to them. Because of that they only remember we exist during the holidays.”

A shadow passed over his face. You softly bumped your shoulder against him again and he grinned and bumped you back.

“You said I'd have to hang out with all of them,” You started nervously. “But what if they think they just don't want me around?”

Satoru snorted, swatting a low-hanging branch out of your way. "Don't sweat it. Half the guys here are so touch-starved I’ve caught them chatting up the actual animals we keep her, buuut if you want a shortcut..." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Work around their instincts. Hybrids are nosy by nature. If you act busy, they'll trail you just to see what you're doing or better yet, throw a few of their shirts in your own laundry. The scent-mixing rewires their brains to accept you faster.”

"Hmm seems a little manipulative…I like it!”

You both snickered as the sparse trees along the walk began to thicken, eventually giving way to the dense edge of the ranch's private forest. The heavy canopy swallowed the sun, fracturing the light into golden speckles that danced across the dirt path.

"We're heading slightly off the main trail. Toji takes his time around the parameter and he scopes out anything worth catching. Any wild game that wanders into the property line, he'll kill and sell.”

A sudden rustle in the branches above made you freeze, but Satoru didn't even flinch.

Before you could look up, a massive figure dropped from the canopy, hitting the forest floor with a heavy thud that was somehow too silent. Startled, you jerked backwards right into Satoru.

The man uncoiled to his full height; a mountain of scarred, densely packed muscle, nearly matching Satoru inch for inch. Two plush, black wolf ears shifted atop his head, instantly locking onto you, while a thick, unruly tail swayed behind him. A scar split the corner of his lips that somehow only made him look more handsome than menacing.

"Look what fell out of the ugly tree." Satoru drawled cheerfully. "Toji, meet the new live-in caregiver. Play nice.”

Toji gave him a knowing smirk. "I'm always nice. Not my fault everyone's so timid.”

His voice was a husky purr that gave you goosebumps. He flashed you what was probably meant to be a charming grin, but his razor sharp canines made it difficult to feel anything but cornered. The sharp gleam in his eyes didn't scream 'rescue animal.' It screamed apex predator.

And it wasn't just the teeth that had you on edge. It was the fact that a fully grown six foot tall wolf hybrid was standing two feet in front of you.

Oh God. What if they have polar bear hybrids here.

Suddenly, Toji stepped closer, invading your personal space. You tried to move away, but Satoru's chest blocked your retreat. Toji's massive hand came up and gripped your jaw as he gently but firmly tilted your head back and to the side, baring the sensitive skin on your neck. He bowed his head, his face hovering mere inches from you felt puffs of breath over your lips.

Is he…He's going to-! We just met!?

"W-Wait-"

You felt a hot, wet tongue drag up the side of your neck and against the tender underside of your jaw. You whimpered, trying to writhe away, but you only succeeded in pressing yourself harder into Satoru's chest. Your boss acting as a physical barrier giving you no room to flee. Toji's free hand settled on your hip, anchoring you in place as his tongue worked you over. The phantom scrape of his stubble against your collarbone triggered an involuntary, full-body shiver.

Satoru watched over your shoulder with a fond smile, content to let his own body cut off your escape, until something sharp pricked against your throat. The panic must have shown on your face because that's when Satoru finally shifted, easing away just enough for you to stumble away from Toji's mouth.

Your cheeks burned — your mind too blank to form a single word.

"Sorry about that. Wolf hybrids need to scent new people early. Helps them get used to new people. The neck's the fastest place to take a scent in, and the best place to leave one." Satoru's tone an exact opposite to how alarmed you felt.

You shot a bewildered glare at Toji, who was busy licking his own wrists and rubbing them along his throat, completely unbothered.

"I couldn't warn you because anticipating it spikes your adrenaline." Satoru clicked his tongue. "Sours the scent. Besides, if you'd panicked, big guy here might've lost his restraint and sunk his teeth in. Though, that still doesn't excuse him trying to leave his mark anyways."

Satoru shot a hard look over the top of his sunglasses. Toji raised his hands in a you caught me gesture.

"Can't blame a guy for being curious. She tasted like a human so I just wanted to be sure. She gets it." He grins. "Right?"

The sight of his canines had you nodding in agreement.

Satoru sighed dramatically. "I'm seriously questioning my hiring tactics if you're the welcome committee. You were supposed to be the polite one.”

"You’ve known me for ten years, Satoru." Toji huffed. "When've you ever known me to be polite?"

Satoru’s expression was like a kid about to pull a chair from underneath someone.

"Keep it up," Satoru sing-songed. "and I'll call Tsumiki. I'm sure she'd absolutely love to know what daddy's up to. I still have those photos saved to the cloud, you know.”

Toji's cocky smirk curdled. The sounds of the forest vanished, replaced by hostile tension between the two men with you stuck in the middle. Then suddenly, Satoru burst into a hysterical laughing fit as he patted your shoulder — as if you were in on their joke somehow. The hostile tension broke as Toji threw his head up, barking in laughter.

You ground your teeth, deeply annoyed at Toji’s posturing. If your job description meant wrangling men like this, you needed to establish a backbone. Immediately.

"Tsumiki. She must be your daughter and Megumi is your son. Satoru said they're both off in college. That's a pretty massive accomplishment, considering how most universities make it impossible for hybrids to enroll.”

Toji stopped laughing and began picking absently at his sharp nails — a lazy show of disrespect. You frowned at that and he glanced up at you, smirking, clearly enjoying the fact that he was getting under your skin.

No wonder he and Satoru get along.

"Degrees are great for vanity, but they don't rewrite the global food chain." Toji scoffed, his wolf ears pinning rigidly against his dark hair. "Sure, Tsumiki'll get by fine, but Megumi? Kid's a wolf, just like me. He'll get ground down, underpaid, and spat out, all so his sheer existence doesn't threaten the delicate, fragile egos of humans." He practically snarled the last word.

A heavy pang of guilt hit your chest. He was right. The world was vicious toward hybrids, and even you’d judged him as a threat the second he dropped out of the tree. Squaring your shoulders, you met his stare head-on.

“I promise you, I'll treat you with nothing but dignity and respect, Fushiguro-san.”

Silence stretched between you both, only broken only by the wind as Toji's unblinking stare stripped you to the bone. Then, slowly, his tail gave a single wag. Then another. Soon it was swaying in as fast as it when he first saw you, and the hard lines of his face broke into a grin.

"Where the hell'd you find her, Satoru?" Toji said, his tail wagging faster. "Fushiguro-san, huh? Real polite of you. I only ever get that from the kids when they want somethin'.” He huffed a deep laugh. “That was this is, sweetheart. You after my candy?”

"She called me, actually. Apparently I've still got a couple of old ads running and never had the time to comb through my expenses." Satoru shrugged. “Guess I'll have plenty of time now that she's around to keep you lot entertained."

You wanted to push your luck and keep him talking. Scanning the area, all you found was dense foliage. It made you wonder if he slept around here.

"Do you sleep outside? Like an actual wolf? I saw on TikTok that most hybrids prefer living in habitats close to their animal counterparts." You beamed, finally pleased your trivia was good for something.

Toji blankly stared at you. His tail froze and drooped toward the dirt, while his ears flattened against his head.

"What? No, I don't sleep outside. I'm not a damn animal." His eyes narrowed, before he looked away, grumbling. "…I sleep outside sometimes, but mostly I'm way out there.”

He jabbed a thumb behind him at a grove of trees so dense it resembled a solid brown wall of bark. You squinted, trying to pick out a shape.

Sighing, Toji closed the distance, all but elbowing Satoru aside. He slung a heavy arm over your shoulders. His body heat wrapped around you like a furnace as he crouched to your eye level.

"There." He murmured as his free pointed out a narrow break in the foliage, and instead of just gesturing, he grabbed your wrist and guided you to his line of sight. "Look close."

Tucked deep in the shadow of the forest sat a one-story cabin, half-swallowed by moss and leaves. Against the back of your thighs, his tail kept up a soft, rhythmic thump, thump.

"Nice house. Can I go inside?"

The rhythm of his tail stuttered then doubled. He gave a low rumble of laughter as he squeezed your shoulder and pulled his massive frame back.

"Slow down." Though his tail betrayed him, wagging eagerly. "Today's a sniff test, not a house tour." His grin sharpened. "But I might leave the door unlocked. Stop by sometime. I'll treat you real nice."

"All right, that's enough. You've terrorized the staff plenty for one morning." Satoru clapped his hands and steered you toward the main path again. "We've got a lot of acres to cover before lunch."

As Satoru led you off, you glanced over your shoulder to see Toji’s smirk carved into his face.

"See you around, caretaker."

🃜 🃚 🃖 🃋 🀣 🀦 🃋 🃁 🂡 🂱 🃑 🃜 🃚 🃖 🃁 🂭

You and Satoru left the forest before he veered off the trail, keeping to the shady border of the tree line. As you walked, the lake curved inward, creeping closer to the path. Curious, you moved toward the edge for a better look when Satoru's arm hooked your waist, reeling you back against his side.

"Careful, the lake is deeper than it looks. Though Sukuna, the next hybrid we’re meeting, loves it. Fortunately for us, he's sticking to dry land today."

Continuing down the path, a rustic barn-house soon came up, situated between where the lake ended and the dense forest wrapped around behind it.

“It’s gorgeous.” You said in awe. “When I was a kid, I used to want to live in houses exactly the same as this.”

"Aww, tell him that. If he warms up to you, he might even let you sleep outside." Satoru snickered.

"Not a big fan of company?"

“Not a big fan of anyone." Satoru corrected cheerfully. "He prefers an environment where everyone worships the ground he walks on, but he'll ignore that if you feed him constantly.”

You reached the front door and had your hand on it when Satoru stopped you.

"I should warn you. Don't run too much or try to sneak around him." He rubs at his midsection. "He has a mutated prey drive and can't control his instincts when that happens.”

The blood must have left your face, because he laughed and knocked his shoulder gently into yours.

"Hey, hey. Don't gimme that look. I'm making him sound as good as an animal but he's just a little rough around the edges."

He pushed the heavy door open. Inside, you weren't sure what you'd expected, but it certainly wasn't this. The decor was tasteful, leaning into warm, earthy tones resembling Satoru's home in a way. There were even framed photos of presumably loved ones. One was a young person with striking white hair similar to Satoru in a graduation gown. Next to it was a photo of a young man with spiky pink hair beaming brightly in similar attire.

"He has kids?" You asked, pointing to the frames.

"Just the one." Satoru tapped the white-haired photo. "Uraume. The pink one's his nephew, Yuji." His lips curled into something devilish. ”I could give you the unabbreviated family history, but that kind of intel comes with a fee.”

"Are you seriously ransoming workplace information on my first day?" You snorted. "I'd report you to HR, but something tells me they play favorites. Fine. Name your price."

"Cook dinner with me tonight. Call it team bonding.”

"Yeah, sure, absolutely!"

You regretted it instantly. Cooking together felt...intimate. The only person you'd ever cooked with was your mother, a cake for your stepdad's birthday, and mostly you'd just been in the way while she worked.

Stop overthinking. It's just a chore. It doesn't have to mean anything.

Speaking of chores, you still hadn't actually done the chore or meeting Sukuna. The house sat silent around you, and you weren't about to wander a stranger's home uninvited, whether Satoru technically owned it or not.

"It's way too quiet. He's probably holed up in the chop shop. C'mon."

He led you through the dining area into the kitchen, and you couldn't stifle your gasp. The living room had been modest but the kitchen belonged in a Michelin star restaurant. Stainless steel, hanging racks, an industrial stove crowned with a ventilation hood. He must've loved food.

"Wait. Is he a chef?"

"No. Uraume did most of the cooking for him. Kid was basically his private chef. He can still cook well and out of everyone here, he's the only one I'd trust alone with a stove. Ask nicely someday and he might even cook for you.

He crossed to a heavy door tucked in the corner. Fluorescent lights snapped on as it swung open, revealing a stark butcher room with a big steel prep table and drains in the floor.

Satoru grunted and shut the door, then snapped his fingers. "His herd. Let's go."

Out the back door, a second, smaller barn stood behind the main house. Off to the side, a small flock of sheep grazed in the grass. You smiled as you gave one a wave and it gave you a baa back. Tension eased, you wondered how terrifying could a man be if he raised sheep?

Then a shuffle sounded from inside the barn followed by the distressed bleat of a lamb. Worried, before Satoru could say a word, you were shoving the barn doors open.

Inside, morning sun fell through the wooden slats in long golden bars with dust motes swimming in the light. Crouched in the center of it over a tiny lamb, was the most massive man you had ever seen. Even folded down onto the ground, he was your standing height.

His bare back was an expanse of tanned scarred muscle, patterned with stark black lines. An orange black striped tail flicked lazily behind him and his pink hair was cropped short. He had normal human ears but nestled in his hair was a pair of fuzzy orange cat ears twitching, tracking you.

Yet what was most intriguing was his second set of arms. They were just as thick, muscled, and powerful as the first. As his thumb rubbed at the lamb's thigh, you realized they were fully functional.

He didn't turn around to acknowledge you, instead his attention stayed focused on his pet lamb. He cupped its head and rubbed its chest soothingly while his third hand tried to slowly lift its leg up. It gave another pained bleat and he released its injured leg.

"Oh no, is your pet hurt? We heard it crying from outside." You took a brave step forward. "I'm your new caretaker, by the way."

Sukuna released the lamb and rose, and kept rising. And kept rising, straightening out until you had to crane your neck up to look at him. When he turned to face you, you almost stumbled away.

He had four eyes.

The entire right side of his face was marred with a deep scar, and beneath his primary eyes sat a second, smaller beady-eyed pair. His face was mature (aged really), incredibly masculine and just as broad as the rest of his body. He had a few black stripes, highlighting his sharp jawline and his striking blood red eyes contrasted with everything.

He's handsome and ugly at the same time.

He walked up to you both and crossed his lower arms. The upper set of eyes flicked to Satoru while the lower set stared at you.

"Satoru. I was heading in, but one of the runts wandered off where it didn't belong." Sukuna rumbled, his voice like rusted steel. "Little idiot snapped its leg.”

You peeked around his massive frame. The lamb lay collapsed on its side, bleating weakly for its mama. Despite everything: the scars, the arms, the eyes. The image of this four-armed giant caring for an injured lamb struck you as sweet. You found yourself wondering what breed of cat he was. Those stripes looked familiar, actually. You'd seen them on a cat account you followed.

"It's a pleasure, Sukuna-san. Let me guess I know those stripes." You said, somewhat smug. "You're a Toyger hybrid, right?"

Sukuna gave Satoru an exhausted are-you-kidding-me stare, before aiming the full weight of his four-eyed glare down at you.

"A Toyger is a designer house cat bred to sit pretty on their master’s lap or lounge around on a couch all day." He leaned down and down until his scarred face was right in front of you. "Do I look as if I’d do that?"

"...You could." You whispered, somewhat hysterically. "Big couch."

"I'm a tiger." He sneered. "Where do you find these people, Satoru? Check their eyesight next time."

You looked down in embarrassment at missing something so obvious. You weren't even scared that this 7ft giant was a tiger hybrid, not when your pride had taken a hit.

Down two for terrible first impressions.

Damn it.

You'd seen tiger hybrids online, sure but never one this size, and never one with four working arms. Looking at him, it made sense why he lived hidden out here. To the black market, he wasn't a person; he was an anomaly worth millions. Each section of him was worth a small fortune. You felt pity that someone born this way had to be sheltered in secret.

That all of them do.

"Be nice, her first introduction was Toji, and I didn't tell her what hybrids you all are. I wanted her genuine reactions" He grinned. "Worth it, by the way."

Sukuna rolled his eyes but said nothing. Instead his upper hands picked you up by your waist. He turned you one way, then the other, while his lower hands pinched at your thighs, testing you like meat at the market.

"Is…is this how tiger hybrids say hello?" You squeaked. "Toji licked my neck, so I guess you're-"

"Quiet. I'm trying to focus." When you giggled at being pinched again he dropped you. "There. Done. Not an ounce of muscle anywhere on you. The last one was at least sturdy enough for the trouble she caused." He grinned, reminiscing. "Mostly."

Your gaze dropped to his torso. Thick bandages were wrapped tightly around his entire stomach. Despite that they were oddly bulky at the center. Between the old gunshots wounds, the burn marks, the deep scars, and now this, worry pricked at you. How much had he suffered to end up here?

How much have all of them suffered?

“Are you going to properly introduce yourself now?” Satoru goaded him.

"I’ll do exactly as I please, Satoru.” Sukuna shot back.

"Sure you do. And I know a certain pink-haired someone who's one phone call away from hearing all about how mean his uncle is being to the nice new caretaker cuz he's being cranky. He'd walk out of his finals just to cheer you up. You know he would."

Sukuna gave him a furious snarl, but his fluffy tiger ears flattened against his head.

"We let ourselves into your house, by the way. Since we were looking for you." You said cutting in. "Your kitchen is stunning, also."

The glare he gives you pins you in place.

"So you make a habit of it. Trespassing. Maybe I'll return the favor sometime. Walk through your home. Open your fridge and eat your food." A slow, ugly smile spread across his face. "I hope you don't keep pets. Long trips make me hungry."

You laughed nervously at his joke but that only made him frown harder.

"She's our new live-in by the way. Finally going to drag yourself over to my side of the lake to visit?"

Sukuna gave an annoyed grunt, ears swiveling as he went back over to the lamb. It struggled to rise, only to flop with a pained bleat. He lowered himself to it again and after Toji, the gentleness calmed your nerves. One large upper hand cradled the lamb's head and a lower hand settled over its body, holding it still.

Then a sharp crack snapped in the air as he twisted its head to the side.

Your hands flew to your mouth in horror at what you just saw. Sukuna rose with its limp body draped over his palm, turned and drank in the agony on your face with open pleasure.

"Oh, no." He mock frowned at you as he stepped closer. "You thought I was playing veterinarian."

The lamb lolled in his hand as he moved and you instantly stepped back. A sharp grin spread across his face as his lower eyes dilated.

"I just...assumed...because it was so young”

"I was calming it down. The meat toughens when the animal is stressed, even if its lamb meat. This isn't a petting zoo, brat. We sell what we raise. Same as any ranch."

"I know but…nevermind.”

But…it was a baby.

"Because it was so young, you know?" you finished in a whisper.

Satoru's hand settled on your shoulder.

"A break like that takes months to heal but since sheep spook easily we'd have to isolate it to keep it calm.” He sighs. “Since sheep are herd animals it'd waste away without its family." His voice was soft as he coaxed you into relaxing. The same way you'd calm an animal, you realized distantly. "It was the humane thing to do. You get that, right?"

You swallowed hard, hating how thin skinned you were. You'd frozen in terror over a wolf hybrid, and now you were falling apart over standard ranch work. If you were going to survive out here let alone bond with these men you needed to toughen up, fast.

"Do you...want me helping with the animals? When I start tomorrow?" You asked hesitantly.

"No." He snaps. "Stay away from my herd unless I say otherwise. I've had it handled for years." His lower hand rubbed at the bandages on his stomach. "When I need use of you, I'll talk you through it."

You exhaled the world's most covert sigh of relief.

"Weak stomach, huh?" Satoru murmured beside you.

You nodded miserably.

"Damn. There goes my drinking buddy." He heaved a theatrical sigh. "And I love a good drink. Tell her, Sukuna."

"...right." Sukuna grinned slowly. "Satoru loves his whiskey. Practically lives on it. It's amazing, the things that man can swallow."

"Okay."

"They call him ‘the greatest guzzler in history’."

Satoru shoots him a glare as Sukuna's tail slowly swayed, deeply satisfied, as he walked past you both.

You followed him outside, away from the herd, toward a wooden pavilion and you understood what it was the moment you saw the dark stains soaked into the concrete and the steel table waiting off to one side. He strung the lamb up by its hind legs on a hanging hook and pressed one sharp claw to its throat.

"You mentioned there was a caretaker before me?" You blurted out quickly, hoping the question would give him pause.

He paused, lowered his hand as he turned to look at you and crossed all both arms over his chest, which was frankly an excessive amount of crossed arms to be on the receiving end of.

"Yeah. What of it?" His eyes narrowed. "If you think buttering me up about her is going to make me be gentle with you, save your breath.”

"No! No, it's not that. I just-" You squared your shoulders, desperate to sound professional instead of a terrified new hire in a pencil skirt. "I wanted to say that I'll treat you exactly as fairly as everyone else here, Sukuna-san. That's a promise and…I heard what she tried to do. The kidnapping." You lifted your chin. "So I want you to know, I've got your back. If anyone ever comes for you like that again just know, I took a women's self-defense class."

...

Sukuna stared at you.

Oh god.

You wanted the concrete floor to open up and swallow you whole. What were you thinking? Self-defense class? To help a towering, four-armed apex predator who could snap your head clean off?

He snorted

Then it snowballed into a deafening roar of laughter, scattering birds from the tree line. He brought a fist down on the steel table hard enough to leave a knuckle-shaped dent, laughing so violently the bandages across his stomach shifted and strained.

Heat crawling up your neck, you wanted to backtrack, but your throat had closed up from nervousness. You looked at Satoru and found him doubled over with a fist pressed to his mouth, shoulders convulsing as he tried to hide his laughter.

Finally, Sukuna caught his breath, wiping a tear from his lower eye.

"Oh oh, that's the best thing I've heard in years." He shook his head, chuckling darkly as the malice returned to his voice. "'I've got your back.' Runt, if it ever comes to that, we'll all be six feet under soon after." He flicked a claw at you. "And drop the 'Sukuna-san.' It makes you sound like a tool."

He turned to the lamb again and pressed his claw to the lamb's throat.

"Alright! That's our cue." Satoru's hands landed on your shoulders as he wheeled you around, steering you out from under the pavilion. "Trust me, you do not want to be here for the next part."

Your ears were ringing, but still aware of the sound of Sukuna's chuckling resuming behind you and of how colossal an idiot Satoru must think you were.

Behind you, quiet enough that you almost missed it.

"'I've got your back.'" He gave a harsh laugh. "Humans are so foolish these days."

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You were both back outside, continuing down the dirt path.

"Well, that was entertaining." Satoru chimed, clapping his hands together. "Big guy hasn't cracked a smile like that since Yuji moved out. See? You're blending in just fine.”

Your heart thumped at his praise. You thought you'd thoroughly humiliated yourself back there — well, technically you had, but your boss didn't seem to see it that way.

I have his respect, but so far none of the hybrids do. Next one'll go better.

That was when Satoru rubbed the back of his neck and turned to you. Even behind his dark lenses you could feel his expression shift into something grimmer.

"So, remember how I said a few of these guys are hard to win over?" Satoru murmured. "My best friend, Suguru. He and humans have a...history. It's painful, it's degrading, and he hasn't had good experiences in the past. Honestly, none of us have, but Suguru holds a hell of a grudge."

He pressed two fingers to his temple, rubbing in slow circles before continuing.

"Don't take it personally. Today's his daughters' last day before they head off to college, so he'll be even more charming than usual." His mouth tugged into a tired, almost mournful smile. "He's a softie underneath, I swear. Just…be patient with him. Even when he gives you nothing back.”

“Of course, Satoru. If you trust me to handle it, I won't let you down.”

The tension melted off his face as he smiled down at you. You knew you shouldn't keep thinking about how good looking he was, but it was getting harder to talk yourself out of it.

As you walked, his knuckles grazed yours so you drifted your hand a little closer and he touched it again. Biting your lip, you swore he was about to lace his fingers through yours when a dock came into view. Suddenly feeling as though you were being watched, you pulled your hand away, pretending to shield your eyes from the sun.

Turns out, you actually did need to since the sun reflected off the water and right into your eyeballs. Squinting, you could see the opposite side of the lake was a large, grassy field with a few cows grazing lazily.

You looked towards a dock coming up, noticing a small boat tied to the end. You were about to step forward when Satoru caught your shoulder.

“Hold up. You can swim, right? It's not a deal breaker, but I prefer my staff not to drown on their first day." He asked, his tone teasing but his grip firm.

“Yeah, I'm a strong swimmer. Is the lake that deep?”

“Oh, it drops off fast here, too.” Satoru grinned, releasing you. “The view at the end of the dock is to die for, though. Go on, take a look while I stay here. Gotta let you take it all in.”

You beamed and started down when you seemingly tripped on thin air. Satoru's bright laughter rang out behind you as you stumbled.

Face hot, you were just shoving yourself up when something hot, thick, and wet wound tight around your ankle. The world flipped, and you were yanked right into the air. You shrieked and grabbed for your skirt as it began to slide down with gravity. Dangling upside down like a caught fish, you tried kicking at whatever was holding you only to be dropped neatly into Satoru's waiting arms.

He snorted, setting you back on your feet, and pointed at a stretch of the dock. The water rippled, and a massive shape hauled itself upward, shimmering into view.

Half in the water and sitting over the sun-bleached boards, sat a man.

Or, the top half of one.

Where his hips and legs should have been, a massive cluster of thick, dark purple tentacles coiled and shifted against the wood, glistening wetly in the sun. With his back turned you could see his muscle shifting fluidly under the light. One of his tentacles drew hypnotic circles in the water while another (the one he used to manhandle you) wiped against the docks.

"Suguru~⋆." Satoru drawled out fondly. "Look who finally arrived. Our new caretaker."

"I'm aware." Suguru didn't bother turning his head, acting as if he hadn't just dangled you in the air. "I could smell their stench from a kilometer away. You really ought to have made them wash before you parade them out here, Satoru.”

You frowned, desperately trying to remember what Satoru said about not taking it personally.

Try focusing on the good in him. I just need to introduce myself for now.

“Be nice. Say hi." Satoru prodded, his lips twitching into a knowing grin.

He turned his head at last, dark eyes settling on you, dragging up and down with open disdain.

And of course, he was beautiful. Long, ink-dark hair was tied mostly into a half-bun, leaving the rest to flow like dark silk over his broad shoulders. He was shirtless, showcasing a solidly built, muscular chest. With his hair pulled back, you got a full view of his aristocratic features: a sharp jawline, warm brown eyes, and flawless, pale skin. It was cruel irony that something this ethereal could look at you with such contempt.

"A human." Suguru sighed, closing his eyes as if the sight of you gave him a migraine.

When he opened them again, they'd gone soft with disappointment and aimed at his friend. "Satoru, tell me you didn't drag a filthy human onto my dock to tend to us. I'd thought you had the common sense to hire one of our own.”

"I told you. That isn't happening. Not again." Satoru replied firmly.

Again? Wait. Am I the first human he's ever hired?

Suguru just rolled his eyes, a deep scowl settling on his handsome features when suddenly, you’d heard what sounded like faint whispering. They sounded feminine, but when you glanced around, nobody else was there.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Satoru prompted again, clearly entertained.

“...greetings." Suguru deadpanned. One of his tentacles giving you a limp wave.

You straightened your posture, determined to salvage this. “Um, hello. I'm the new caretaker. I know I'm human, but I'll try my best to make you comfortable. Your… your tentacles are beautiful! And your squid ink was delici-”

“I’m an octopus." Suguru interrupted, flashing you a polite smile. “Though I suppose expecting a human to grasp the basic intricacies of a higher species is asking far too much. I forgive your ignorance.”

You flinched slightly but managed a tight nod.

“Right, sorry. My mistake. Satoru mentioned you were a late bloomer hybrid. I'd love to hear what that was like, if you wouldn't mind."

"I would.”

Your eyes narrowed, but you kept a strained smile on your face, and he offered a polite smile in return. You waited, assuming he would ask you a question next, but he stayed silent.

With nothing to talk about, the three of you stood there awkwardly. It became clear that Satoru meant for you to carry the conversation, while Suguru was content letting you flounder around.

But you had too much self-respect to grovel for his attention, even if it was your job to socialize. Still, you pressed onward.

"I'm the live-in caretaker, actually. The others didn't realize, so I figured you should know."

"I'm aware. Satoru basically said it." He flicked some water. "You don't need to repeat yourself. I'm not slow.”

You knew good and damn well that wasn't implied but you continued.

“Are there...any activities you enjoy doing? Things I could help supply?”

"Nothing I’d want your involvement in.”

“You have very nice hair.”

“I do, don't I."

"So you can camouflage. I bet that was pretty interesting when you found out."

"It was.”

“So you're an octopus. Do yo-”

“I am an octopus. As I already said.”

Your grin stretched a little tighter. “I wasn't finished, but I was going to ask: since you're an octopus, do you give Satoru your ink, too?”

“I’m a Graneledone boreopacifica." He enunciated slowly. “I don't produce ink.”

“Wow, that's a pretty scientific name, huh? You must be pretty smart about marine biology.”

“I am.”

Your smile strained as you nodded, while he narrowed his eyes back at you.

Little shit. He's not giving me an inch.

He kept up his courteous facade, while you steadily ran out of material. You dragged a breath in, wracking your brain for anything.

“Satoru mentioned you have two daughters, but they're leaving for college today. Are they still around? I'd love to introduce myself before they go.”

“No." He replied too smoothly. “They left hours ago. Maybe if you came earlier, you might have caught them. They love fashion trends. I'm sure they would've found you...interesting.”

His smile widened as you frowned. Even your fakest friends had never been this passive aggressive. Then, just over Suguru's shoulder, a young girl's face popped up to peek at you.

Mood improved, you offered a wave. "Oh, hi! I'm-"

His reaction was instant.

A thick tentacle whipped up and across the dock, slamming down right in front of you. In a fraction of a second a writhing wall of dark-purple flesh sealed off your line of sight to his daughter entirely.

When you looked up at Suguru, his smile was gone and what remained was a look of cold dominance. The girl seemingly disappeared back behind him.

"Lower your eyes." He commanded venomously. "You do not look at them. You do not speak to them. You do not wave your filthy paws at them. You’re not-"

His jaw locked. He took a slow, shuddering breath, forcibly centering himself. "You are human staff. You feed. You clean. You keep your distance, and you keep your eyes on the dirt, where they belong. Are we clear, human?”

"I… yes. I'm sorry. I just-"

"I don't care what you 'just' wanted." Suguru snapped. Then, smooth as oil spreading over water, the serene, mocking warmth slid back over his face. "Don't do it again.”

“Alright, pull back the claws, Suguru. She's not here to hurt anyone." Satoru finally interjected, his voice carrying a subtle, warning edge.

"I'm calm, Satoru. I haven't drowned her yet, have I?" Suguru sighed, regarding his friend with genuine exhaustion. "But why a human this time? What's she going to do? Fish with me? Brush my hair? Wade in here and spar with me?" His gaze flicked back to you, unimpressed. "I have no use for her.”

Your face burned with frustration. "I-I'm a fast learner. I'm here to handle your needs, whatever they are."

"My needs?" He let out a low, bitter laugh. "I don't need a thing from a human. Your putrid kind is the sole reason we need places like this, so the rest of us can live somewhere out of your reach.”

His dark eyes flashed with a deeply buried grief. "You humans look at us and see resources. Prizewinning livestock to be harvested. You look at a boy with innocent eyes and bright, beautiful wings, and all you care about is how much his feathers will be on the black market."

Beside you, Satoru flinched.

"But Satoru is a good person, and he insists on collecting strays." Suguru finished boredly, turning his gaze back to the water. "So, welcome."

You swallowed hard.

Lucky me, he seems independent enough so I won't have to spend much time with him.

Still, you gave it your last shot.

“Your daughter is really pretty. I like how she does her makeup." You said softly.

Suguru’s back tensed. His gaze snapped back at you as he opened his mouth to tear into you for daring to mention them again when a voice beat him to it.

“Thank you!” Chirped the brunette girl you'd spotted earlier as she peeked over her dad's shoulder. You could see her much better now, easily spotting the soft cat ears perched on her head.

"She meant me, Mimiko." Said a second voice. The blonde girl hauled herself up, arms draped over Suguru's shoulder, giving you a better look. She had cat ears too, and honey-blonde hair to her sister's brown. "You're not even wearing any today.”

“Nice try, Nanako, but she didn't even see you! So she was definitely talking about me. Right, Dad?”

"Not like it matters, we share the same makeup." Nanako poked at her sister's cheek, and the two dissolved into giggles against their father's shoulders.

Two tentacles curled up and gently herded both girls behind him. Suguru chided them in a hushed whisper, so you leaned in closer, trying to catch what he was saying, before he shot you a lethal glare. A tentacle prodded at your chest, shoving you backward until you were safely tucked behind Satoru's tall frame.

Satoru reached out and patted the tense muscle until Suguru relented with an annoyed scoff. His eyes slid towards you as he gave you a polished smile.

"For your information, my girls are attending a private university. Hybrids only. No humans permitted within a mile." He forced his smile wider. "Since you take such a keen interest in them.”

You were far too worn down to keep this going, so you just gave him a thumbs-up, which made his eye twitch.

"He's just broody." Satoru murmured, steering you towards the trail.

You glanced over your shoulder and Suguru hadn't lowered his tentacles, but the two girls' faces had reappeared above his shoulder, watching you go. Just before her father's hand gently turned her head away, Nanako lifted her hand and waved back.

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You felt dejected. Three in a row with each one worse than the last. Whatever factoids you'd picked up about hybrids were wrong and whatever questions you'd asked were either offensive or made you look stupid.

Or both.

Back when you weren't so stupid, when you lived with your stepfather, and things had been more restrictive but simpler. You never embarrassed yourself in conversations because you'd speak when spoken to. The boys, and later on men, were all pre-approved to hang out with you so there'd never been compatibility issues. You were way out of your depth applying to this job. Now you just needed to rip the bandaid off to Satoru.

“Satoru. I don't think I'm qualified for this job.”

He stops and jerks his head to look at you.

“You don't think you're qualified? Is this because of Suguru? He's a great guy, I'd swear my life on it, but he's just needs to blow off some steam.”

He stopped in front of you a little too close and despite walking all day you can still smell the faint scent of his soap. It helps ground you as he looks into your eyes. Though, You wish you could see his, instead you just get to stare into his sunglasses.

“Trust me, you're plenty qualified." His voice firm. "The fact you haven't just left shows me you can deal with their attitudes. Excluding the last hire, everyone else had to stop for the day after meeting Sukuna.”

If imposter syndrome wasn't already hurting your self-esteem, it's striking even harder now due to his faith in your abilities. For now, you'll just do as he says, whatever he says, until he sees what's wrong with you too.

“Of course Satoru." Your voice wavers. "If you say I'm qualified, then I'm qualified.”

His let's out a heavy sigh but nods and continues walking.

“The next hybrid is our residential fighting enthusiast. He has a lot of…energy. He's not hyperactive, just high-strung all the time.”

You frowned. Your stepfather had forced you on multiple dates with one of his coworkers son's who was women troubles because of how “high-strung” he was, which was actually just a code-word for coke. You doubt that's what's going on here but you could never be too sure.

“You said he's a fighting enthusiast?”

“Yeah, he can tell you more about it, but for a while he forced into illegal fights. He lived most of his life like that and he'd learned to find comfort in it."

You nodded solemnly and then felt the guilt you'd been pushing down. Satoru had warned you these men hadn't had good histories with humans, and you'd still taken it personally with Suguru even when Satoru asked you to be patient. You'd thought you had more empathy than that. You promised yourself that no matter how badly the next five hybrids acted, you wouldn't let it get to you.

Satoru led you further from the lake and toward the open fields this time. As a modest house came into view, you heard what sounded like wood being splintered. He guided you around the back, where a wide, flat yard opened up — dirt packed hard and scuffed with long dragging marks; the unmistakable signs of a training ground. The air carried a sharp, metallic tang that prickled the back of your throat.

What surprised you more was the cyan-haired man beating the bark off a tree. He hit it again as you watched — a fast, brutal cross that landed with a crack you felt in your own teeth, electricity spitting off his knuckles on impact. Lean and cut, dressed all in white, sweat catching the sun. Two curved horns rose from his head, spiked and darker near the tips.

Higher on his forehead, turned sideways, sat a closed third eye. When he moved fast enough, little forks of electricity leapt and snapped between his horns.

"Hajime!" Satoru called out playfully, stopping at a careful distance. "Got a minute to spare for us mere mortals?”

The man stopped, rolled his shoulders, and wiped the sweat from his eyes. You looked him up and down, trying to figure out what kind of hybrid he was. He caught you staring and returned it with a flat glare. You tried to salvage it with a small wave, but he ignored you and turned to Satoru.

"This the new one?" He said, sauntering over.

As he came close, his third eye slid open and looked at you. Its pupil dilated as it dragged up and down your body before his eye rolled in a half circle and slid back closed.

Did he just roll his eye at me?

"Huh. Thought you'd be bigger."

He crossed his arms and sighed.

“Satoru. Why do you keep bringing me fodder? When you said you were 'trying something new' I figured that meant you'd finally found someone worth a damn. Someone who could take a hit." His eye twitched as his hands flexed, and his foot tapped an impatient rhythm.

"Fodder? Your pillow talk is improving, considering what you called the last hire" Satoru teased. "And for the record, she's your new live-in caretaker. Not a sparring partner. Be nice."

You perked up and tried to introduce yourself. "Whatever you need, I'll do my best to-"

“Wipe that smile off your face. Not a damn thing to be happy about right now.”

Your smile faltered, but that didn't seem to improve his mood either. At least now that he was close, you could get a better look at him. Similar to Sukuna, he was scarred all over except his were healed bruises and old bite marks, with more, you suspected, hidden under the white fabric. His lower eyelids were marked with what looked like lightning bolts and given the electricity rolling off him, you couldn't tell if it had been an accident or a personal choice.

“Don't stare. If you have something to say, say it.”

"You have nice training grounds." you pivoted quickly. "I heard you punching that tree from a ways off. That has to take an insane amount of practice... and pain tolerance.”

Hajime shrugs, but he does turn to look at you to give you his attention.

"Pain's the whole point. You don't get strong running from it. You get strong standing in it 'til it stops mattering." He tilted his head, sizing you up again. "But you wouldn't know. Look at you. You wouldn't even last two seconds."

"Two seconds at what?" you asked.

A cocky grin split across his face. "A good fight. What else.”

"She's a caretaker, Hajime. Not a punching bag." Satoru drawled. "Don't bite the hand that literally feeds you.”

Hajime groaned like the words caused him physical injury. "I hate when you talk like that.”

Satoru was right. This guy's wound tight. He'd probably been hoping for a fight. I just need to make myself interesting to him somehow.

You glanced around to take in your surroundings, but it was barren. The battered tree he'd been using as a punching bag, a shed off to one side (more equipment, maybe), and the back of his house.

It was a single story, and through the one window without its blinds drawn, you could see his bedroom. No decorations from what you could tell, just a mattress and a pillow. You were starting to suspect he didn't even own a TV. You almost asked, but figured he'd take offense, so you went with something safer.

"What are you, exactly?" You asked, eyeing the horns, the third eye, the electricity. "I honestly have no idea. A bull? No…some kind of fox?"

"A fox." He let out a snort, gesturing at himself as if the answer should've been obvious and you were just too slow to figure out. "Not bad. Wrong, but not bad. Truth is nobody knows. Not even him." He jerked his chin at Satoru. "Smartest people I've ever met still can't crack it. Drives 'em up the wall." His grin sharpened. "Feels nice watching you struggle and fail.”

That surprised you. There were rare hybrids, sure but unknown ones? While there were still hotly debated theories about why hybrids existed or who became one, there were at least five proven facts:

You could only become a hybrid from an animal in the kingdom Animalia.

The animal side never affected facial features.

At most, only 50% of your body's external features could be animalistic.

Hybrids could only come from known animals.

If an animal went extinct, no one would ever become that hybrid again.

You weren't a biologist, so anything beyond common animals always tripped you up. There were tests to identify a specific species, but those were expensive.

Maybe he discovered whatever hybrid he was and didn't tell anyone. To be honest I wouldn't either.

“Hajime loves making his caretakers guess, almost as much as he loves fighting.” Satoru said cheerily.

"Damn right I do. Tell you what. You wanna know what I am?" He grinned, showcasing sharp canines. "Last 30 seconds against me. Last that long and I'll tell you whatever you want. My species, my favorite color, the meaning of life." He shrugged, rolling his shoulders as a stray volt crackled between his horns. "Show me my body can't take you down easily, and I might just let you do whatever you want with it.”

Your stomach dropped. He had twice your body mass, was currently radiating live electricity, and was looking at you like a starving dog.

"I uh no. No thank you. I don't think I could."

"Tch." The grin vanished and was replaced with disgust. "'Course you don't. That's loser talk you know. 'I'm not strong enough, I couldn't do it, I can't take it.'" He rolled his eyes. "If you've decided you've lost before you even raise your fists then you'll never win a damn thing your whole life, and that's not weakness in the body," He tapped two fingers hard against his temple. "that's weakness up here.”

"Well I mean, with time and practice, I'm sure I could." You tried, mustering some confidence.

He narrowed his eyes at you, but a spark of electricity flared between his horns, betraying his sudden interest. "Yeah? And how exactly are you planning on doing that?”

“I can practice in my free time. Since I'll have to walk around a lot I'm sure I'll develop some nice leg muscles.” You say, hoping he buys it.

“I don't buy it it.”

Damn

"Walking's fine for endurance, that won't save you thirty seconds against me." He cracked his knuckles, electricity hissing across them. "You need power. Speed. Quick reflexes. Stuff you can't get strolling around. What you need is someone who knows what he's doing to ram it into you. And there's no way in hell anyone else around here'll take it seriously." He jabbed a thumb at his chest. "So I'll do it. Consider yourself lucky.”

You felt like he was threatening you but Satoru snorted so you assumed its just how he talked.

"He's not as scary as he wants you to think." Satoru murmured as you both walked away.

🃜 🃚 🃖 🃁 🂭 🂺 🃁 🂡 🂱 🃑 🀣 🀦 🃜 🃚 🃖 🃁

You and Satoru followed the meadow until it gave way to a dirt path, packed hard and rutted with hoof prints.

The last encounter had left you feeling almost confident. Either Hajime was humoring you, or you were finally adjusting. For your own sake, you hoped it was the latter, but when you turned to tell Satoru you were ready for the next introduction, his bright attitude was gone. He caught you staring and offered a weak smile.

"So, the next one's our other late bloomer type. He's got a bias against non-hybrids, same as everyone else, but for his own asinine reasons." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Look, I'll be blunt, he's a misogynist and an ass to everyone except me and Toji, but women get it the worst. That said, I've got a hunch he'll like you."

"That's not comforting.”

“Don’t worry. Deep in there somewhere is a chivalrist.”

As he talked he had drifted closer to you, close enough that his body started suffocating you. It was still morning and the temperature was climbing, but you didn't mind too much. This close you noticed underneath his hair he had white eyebrows meaning he was either dedicated to his aesthetic or he was all natural. It made you look down at his shirt but it was covering whatever body hair he had.

It gets even hotter in a few months. Does he work shirtless? I bet he's the type to wipe his sweat with the hem of his shirt and it shows his-

You had to will yourself to stop.

You both kept walking until you came up to a familiar looking sight. It was the cow you'd seen earlier. Three of them standing around, occasionally chewing on some grass. Nearby was a barn house, but smaller in size than the last one. Satoru walked up to the front porch and opened up the door without knocking.

You felt stiff as a handsome looking man turned to see who barged in. He was around Hajime's size, but a bit beefier in his shoulders. Where a person's ears would be were cow ears and he had a tail laying beside him. Nestle around his neck was a cow print collar with a small bell that gave a tiny chime as he shifted.

As for his human features, he had dyed blond hair, several black piercings gleaming on his left ear, and a tan.

He must be a gyaruo, but that can't be right. If he's alternative, why would he be a misogynist?

His smile reached his eyes as he stood up to greet you both.

"Satoru. Glad you could stop by to see me." He said cheerily.

You gave him a small wave. "Hi, I'm your new caretaker. The live-in caretaker, I should say. You have a lovely home."

Naoya’s eyes slid towards you and then back to Satoru.

"What brings you by?"

"Now, Naoya, don't be rude. You know why I'm here."

Naoya crossed his arms but looked away.

"Thought we could chat man to man for a bit, ‘s all. Sides," He turned and grinned at you. "no point learnin' her name. They don't last. You know they never do."

He dragged his gaze up and down your body, then started walking around you. As he did, you felt the searing heat of his gaze on your ass. When he made his way back around his hand shot out and caught your jaw, tilting your head from side to side. When he lifted your arm and leaned in, you stepped back.

"What the hell, woman, I wasn't done." He sneered, looking you up and down. "When a bull is working, you never interrupt him. Tch. Just like modern women to not know their manners."

He shook his head as the bell chimed mournfully. Then he looked at Satoru with genuine fondness.

"Nothin' like the women back in Toji-kun's days. They knew their place. Three steps behind a man, and never too far from the kitchen." He nudged Satoru's arm. "Or the bedroom."

Satoru raised his eyebrow. "How's the harem?"

You blinked. "The what?"

"Naoya kept begging the last caretaker for a harem of heifers, so she bought him some. You met them a minute ago."

"Damned bitch. She knew what I meant." He rounded on you like you were personally responsible. "As a demi-bull, it's instinctual for me to keep a harem. There's plenty of sites online for meetin' single, fertile demi-cowgirls that need a man in their life. All she had to do was set up a profile. Instead she thought women could be funny."

Demi. You'd heard the term your before. Cow and bull hybrids had their own lingo and since they were so common you'd picked up a nickname or two.

You nodded along, but noted his conspicuous lack of horns. Hybrid biology was strange that way. An animal's sex traits didn't always match the human's gender. For example, you'd seen female peacock hybrids as models. In comparison, men who ended up with female animal traits tended to be sensitive about it, but you'd never met one who flat-out denied it. Especially when the evidence was standing right in front of you.

"Don't look at me like that, scum. I'm a late bloomer so my horns haven't come in yet."

Naoya idly scratched at his ears and then his hand snapped out lighting fast to grab your wrist. You stumbled into his chest as he pulled you closer and long spotted tongue unrolled from his mouth. He drew your hand up and started licking at your wrist.

"Wha-hey!" It tickled so you pulled away but his grip was too strong. He worked his way up your arm, lapping at the crook of your elbow, then higher, until his tongue lapped at your neck. He nibbled a bit, but luckily he didn't have any canines — though it did feel lewd.

"Cows are curious by nature," Satoru chimed in. "but they've also got a thing for anything salty. Once they start licking, you can't get them to stop until they've had their fill."

Ah, so this is just another gree-!

Your thoughts shattered as Naoya kissed you.

You moaned in surprise and he took advantage as his tongue pushed past your lips, languidly tasting you. His hand cradled the nap of your neck, anchoring you in place while his other splayed across your back to keep you close.

Your groan of indignation is muffled by the kiss. Demi-cows did not greet people like this, you knew that, you knew that but the thought slipped through your mind as he deepened the kiss. His eyes sliding closed as his tongue claimed yours.

It curled against the roof of your mouth before he started pushing for your throat. His fingers traced coaxing patterns onto your back, gentling you as his tongue pushed even deeper, too deep until you gagged.

That finally stopped him. He pulled back with a soft bite to your bottom lip as thin string of saliva glistened between you both.

You stumbled backward, bumping hard against Satoru's chest. He steadied you by the waist, his thumbs brushing your sides soothingly.

Naoya smacked his lips. "You taste like a human for some reason." His eyes narrowed. "What hybrid type are you?"

You wiped your mouth. "What the hell was that? I've never even-"

"Don't answer my question with a question woman." He snapped." I won't repeat myself. What type are you?"

You felt tears well at your eyes before blinking them away. "I'm a human. Why did you just do that?"

He glared at you, but it was Satoru who answered.

"Naoya's got a special gene. The enzymes in his tongue react with the natural oils and saliva in your body. One taste and he knows anyone's hybrid type. Neat trick, right?" A pause, and you could hear the mirth in his voice. "Also, I haven't told anyone you're a non-hybrid either. Figured it'd be a fun surprise for them too. You understand, right?"

Fun surprise!? Damn if I didn't need this job.

"Yeah, of course, Satoru. Um. Just warn me next time."

"No promises." He patted your shoulder, and it made you feel warm inside despite everything.

Naoya, meanwhile, just shook his head in agitation, bell chiming. "I have strict needs. A woman should be attending to me at every hour on the hour minimum. So where's the other girls?”

That made you pause.

He's right, kinda A ranch this big, with so many specialized needs. That's a whole staff's worth of work so why is it just me?

"You won't need to see every hybrid every second of the day. I haven't had a new caretaker in months and they all adjusted just fine." Satoru reassured you.

"Does that mean you'll hire more eventually?"

"Nope. Just one caretaker is all we need." He chuckled. "No harems for Naoya."

Despite what just happened you couldn't help but let out a chuckle and soon Satoru was laughing along with you. His laugh was so heavenly it put you at ease but then Naoya's laugh cut in so you both stopped. You took the moment to look around his house and saw he had his own photos. One was Satoru grinning for the camera with Naoya and the other was a candid photo of Toji. Next to it was a selfie of a child smiling and holding up a camera with Toji looking gloomy at the camera. You kept looking around and saw on the couch was a bag labeled BULL SNACKS.

He really is dedicated to this bull gimmick.

"You and Toji look similar? Is he your uncle?"

Naoya puffed his chest up and grinned. "Close, he's my older cousin. We're both the strong, silent type, so we stay outta each other's spaces. Helps maintain our independent auras. I've seen him huntin' around a few times, though. The man's a beast." He gave you a once-over and clicked his tongue. "If you weren't a woman, I'd tell you to go see him in action, but you people just end up distracting him."

Not wanting to dig any deeper into his man-crush, you changed the subject. "What type of bull are you?"

It earned you a glare, but by now you understood anything you said would. Then his hand panned up and down his own body as he gave you an isn't it obvious look.

"Kuroge Washu. Obviously. Highest quality of bull there is."

"Oh! So you're a wagyu bull. Fancy.".

Naoya's brow twitched, but he gave you a pinched smile. "That term's outdated to demi-bulls, yeah? Wagyu's what ends up on the plate. You call a man that, you're callin' him a cut of meat. It's objectifying." He crossed his arms, chin high. "But I'll let it slide. You're new, and honestly, ignorance is natural in women. It's not your fault you can't help it."

"...Right. Sorry. Kuroge Washu."

"I'm naturally more powerful than human men.” He flexed his biceps and his thick cords of muscle jumped beneath his tan skin.” A few hybrids here have me beat, sure. Part of bein' a man is knowin' when you're out won." He turned toward the hallway. "C'mon. House tour. You'll need to know where you're goin' once you start serving me."

You rolled your eyes and followed behind him.

"Kitchen." He swept a hand across it. It wasn't nearly as opulent as Sukuna's, but you weren't expecting anyone else's to be. "My food gets delivered weekly, but I switch up the orders since I need a diverse diet."

He then led you down the hall and gestured into a large room outfitted with heavy-duty gym equipment. One entire wall was covered by a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror.

"I'd record my fitness routine, but for privacy reasons I can't." He picked at his nails. "You should see some of the demi-bulls postin' their shit online. They're too small yet they're on steroids. It's pathetic. A man's strength should come naturally, or don't bother showin' it off."

Down the hallway, he walked past one closed door without a word but pointed at the laundry room with a grunt, and brought you to his bedroom.

It was as large as the living room but more lived-in, and surprisingly clean. It didn't smell like a frat house, but there was a large pinup poster on the wall of a demi-cowgirl in a bikini about to take it off.

Wait. I could make this work. Appeal to his ego and hire a demi-cowgirl escort.

"Is that your type? I might know someone who looks like her. Maybe you two could meet up?"

Naoya looked at like you'd said something adorable and a dark grin spread across his face. "Nah. I'll pass."

"That's it? But what about the heifer thing."

"I said I'll pass."

Suddenly his phone alarm shrieked from his pocket. His tail went rigid, and a deep red flooded his face as he fumbled the phone out.

"That's-" He cleared his throat and recovered his swagger. "Tour's over. Since I'm a bull, I gotta work off all my excess testosterone twice a day. Not somethin' a woman should see." His face was still red. The bell chimed as he herded you both toward the hallway. "Out. C'mon, out. Move."

Is he telling me he's about to jerk off?

Satoru snickered beside you. "We'll leave you to your regimen.”

🃜 🃚 🃖 🃁 🂭 🂺 🃁 🂡 🂱 🃑 🃖 🃁 🂭 🂺 🃁

As you began walking back down the trail, you couldn't scrub the sensation of Naoya's tongue in your mouth. Your mind buzzed as you tried to make sense of what happened.

"Satoru,” You stopped walking, feeling a sense of shame wash over you. “Why didn't you tell Naoya I was human? If you knew he'd…that he'd check.”

Satoru tilts his head at you as his brows draw together in confusion. Like you'd just told him the sky wasn't blue. Like the problem wasn't that big a deal. Like he knew not telling them wouldn't result in Naoya taking your fir-

"It would've been pointless. Naoya respects me, but he's stubborn. He wouldn't have believed me unless he checked for himself. It's a weird quirk of his, I know. Honestly, I'm just glad I finally have someone here who can be accommodating to his needs."

Weird my ass. That was basically assault. Naoya’s got something against women and he's got poor Satoru convinced that tongue shit is harmless.

"I see, but if you don't mind me asking why is he here? A bull hybrid isn't exactly a rarity."

Satoru sighs. “Its a whole story, but basically he's the current heir to a majority stock in the Zenin conglomerate."

Your eyes widen. Your stepfather used to talk about the Zenins whenever he wanted to put himself in a shit mood. He was rich but he was to them as you were to him. Rumor had it they'd once bought a small country.

You remembered a news cycle from years back. The previous majority holder died and his son was set to inherit everything when suddenly Zenin family members started dropping like flies. Heart attacks, car crashes, and a suicide the police called suspicious. It only stopped when the son himself was pronounced dead. The news had moved on after that and last you'd heard a relative who'd cut themselves off inherited everything.

"He's that Zenin? Everyone thinks he's dead."

"And it'll stay that way. This land used to be theirs but they'd sold it to me when they declined everyone else's offers, so I figured I owe them one. The others can leave whenever they want, but Naoya, for his own safety, is stuck here forever."

You nod and can't help but feel kinda bad. It doesn't excuse what he did, but still.

“So, who's the next hybrid?” You ask, wanting to change subjects to something less dark.

"Hybrids. They're the only two who can stand next to each other without ripping each other's throats out."

The two of you kept walking until you were back by the lake again. Underneath a large willow tree was a bunny hybrid and sitting next to him along the shore on an elevated large flat rock was — Suguru? Except the lower half of his body was a mass of honey brown tentacles and when he turns to look at you, he breaks into a warm smile and waves at you like you're an old friend.

Right next to them was a small stone bridge that cut through a corner of the lake. A door was built into the underside of the bridge and it reminded you of Harry Potter causing you to grimace at the reality of someone actually living like that on the ranch.

As you both crossed the bridge, you got a better look at the squid hybrid. His face looked more mature than Suguru's, pallor too, but it paired well with his hair being down, making him look more welcoming. However, your eyes were glued to the blunt stitches on his forehead before you gained some courtesy and looked at him properly in the eyes. Either he didn't notice or didn't mind you staring at it as his face never wavered.

"Satoru,” He said as he reached out to hold your hand with both of his. “You told me she'd be capable but you didn't tell me she'd be so alluring.”

You felt your face heat up. You had to admit Suguru was handsome but someone with his features with a friendly attitude had you melting inside.

"Yeah, Satoru." The man under the willow rises. "We know she got here yesterday. Trying to keep her all to yourself?"

Up close, he's the most unique looking hybrid here. Possibly the most unique looking person you've ever seen. Long pale-blue hair, heterochromatic eyes, one of them a clouded grey, and stitches. Stitches everywhere, like he'd been taken apart and sewn back together. Perpendicular seams crossed his cheeks and ran straight through the grey eye. He even had a ring of them circling his neck that makes your own throat feel tight.

Despite all that, he was startlingly handsome.

"I'm Kenjaku, and this is Mahito." Says the man still holding your hand. "And you must have already met my younger cousin Suguru, given how startled you looked a second ago. Don't worry," His thumb draws a slow circle on your hand. "I'm far more open-minded."

Maybe it's just the morning you've had, but something about him relaxes you. You have to admit, people are a lot more attractive when you're not on the receiving end of fictitiousness or misogyny.

"I heard through the grapevine that you're a human." Mahito leans into your personal space. "That true?"

"Yeah. First human Satoru's ever hired, apparently."

"The first." He takes your other hand, and just like that you're sandwiched between them. "That has to be terrifying. All alone out here, surrounded by strangers, nobody like you for miles." His voice drops into a plush, confiding tone. "Lucky for you, bunny hybrids are naturals at making humans perk up. So if the loneliness ever weighs you down, you know exactly where to bring it."

The attention is getting to your head, making you feel more bubbly than usual. You giggle, and Mahito's ears twitch like antennae finding a signal.

"Oh, I want to hear more of that." He pulls you in closer. "The sounds humans make are so…interesting. Almost as interesting as all the books they write. I actually tried making one myself, but really it's just a fact sheet about everyone. Here. "

He hands you a Gothic style leather book. You quickly flipped it open and saw only the first couple of pages had anything written in them.

"Consider it a welcome gift."

"I got you something as well." Kenjaku produces a small glass bottle charm.

Inside is a thick black liquid, so dark it seems to eat the light. You turn it over and find a small glass hoop crafted into the glass. Kenjaku releases your hand only for one of his tentacles to slide up and gently lift your wrist instead, holding it steady while his hands thread a string through the hoop to tie to your wrist.

"This is your ink? Is that where Satoru's ink comes from?"

"That's right. I sell it on occasion, but people have started noticing how much blacker it is than anything commercially made. They make these cute little charms out of it, so I made one just for you." The tentacle unwinds from your wrist, suckers releasing one by one with soft, wet pops. "Keep it on you. It's good luck." His smile deepens. "It'll keep the pests away."

"Thank you — both of you, but I don't have anything to give in return."

Mahito and Kenjaku glance at each other over your head. When they look back down at you, they're wearing matching smiles.

"You're here with us." Mahito's grin turns crooked. “That's all the gift I need.”

Emboldened by all this friendliness, you pry a little.

"So is that where you live, Mahito?" You point at the door under the bridge. "Inside a bridge?"

It doesn't look large by any stretch, though for all you know he's dug the interior out deeper. That doesn't seem structurally sound, but neither does living in a bridge to begin with.

"I know it looks small, but I actually like it that way. I'd invite you in, but I've been moving things around and wouldn't want you tripping over anything. Tomorrow I'll show you some of my favorite books, if you'd like?"

"Yeah, of course!"

You're honestly relieved. These two are clearly going to be the easiest to socialize with. You don't know much about squid hybrids, but the things you do know about bunny hybrids are…pretty objectifying. Notoriously high libidos made them hard to adopt out if they had no one to help them find relief, and people loved citing the "fact" that bunnies didn't care how small their enclosures were. They trotted that out for decades as an excuse to house them in closets. You wondered if Mahito required any special needs, but it was way too inappropriate of a question to ask in front of everyone. For all you know, Mahito has it handled.

I've been waiting all day, but I still haven't met either of the nocturnal hybrids.

You take a closer look at Mahito and notice the faint bags under his eyes, but…that doesn't add up. Bunnies are crepuscular so they just wake up super early. Your eyes drift to his stitches, and a dark thought comes to mind. Bunny hybrids, like their animal counterparts, were exploited for cosmetic testing all the time and that's not even getting into the horrors of the medical testing. You don't want to assume, but it's possible he was one of those victims, and whatever was done to him rewired his internal clock.

"Mahito, are you one of the nocturnal hybrids Satoru mentioned? Bunny hybrids are crepuscular so I assumed it might've been you but you sleep in.”

His ears twitch again. "Caught me. One day in and you're already putting things together." His eyes slid to Satoru. "You didn't say she'd be so clever."

"Observant and clever." Kenjaku muses. "That's new. You know, the old caretaker left behind a puzzle set. I keep my belongings elsewhere, but I'll dig it out for you. You strike me as someone who can't leave something unsolved." His eyes sparkle and a tentacle shifts closer to you. "I find that quality very useful partner."

"Oh, I love puzzle games! I used to play Tetris for hours. Have you ever heard of it?"

"I've heard of it, but never played it myself." Mahito's thumb traces an idle circle on the back of your hand."Maybe you'll let one of us sit in sometime."

You're trying to remember any Tetris tricks when you notice Kenjaku's tentacles have gotten livelier. While Suguru was more reserved and wanted to steer clear of you Kenjaku’s tentacles were slowly making their way towards you. You shifted away from one wandering towards your ankle and bump into Satoru. You mumble an apology and a moment later feel a tentacle tapping at the back of your calves.

"I should warn you, though, " Mahito continues. "Since I'm nocturnal, don't expect me around all the time. It's rare for me to even be up this late. Actually," He yawns "I'm hitting the sack. It was nice meeting you."

Another yawn, and he ambles off through the little door under the bridge. Kenjaku, meanwhile, extends a tentacle to toy with the charm at your wrist, rolling the glass bottle back and forth against your pulse.

"Before you go, have you met Choso? He's the only other nocturnal hybrid here."

"Nope." Satoru answers for you. "I texted him earlier asking if he wanted to meet her first, but he said he'd rather spend this time while he's awake texting Yuji." He leans in and loudly whispers, "He's convinced Yuji's seeing someone. Don't tell him I told you."

Kenjaku raises an eyebrow, then nods solemnly. "His secret is safe with me."

His tentacles retreat and he gives you a wave goodbye as you and Satoru continue on. Despite how friendly he was, you can feel his eyes on your back long after you leave.

🃁 🂡 🂱 🃑 🃁 🂡 🂱 🃑 🂱 🃑 🃁 🂡 🂱 🃑 🃁

It was only afternoon as you and Satoru made your way over to the last hybrid, Choso, when a thought popped up.

"Huh, you know I didn't even think about it, but I guess the hybrids have phones out here. Could I get their numbers?"

Satoru scratched the back of his head. "I'd rather you ask them yourself. Consider it a gauge of how much they trust you."

"But that could take forever." Your shoulders hunched. "And they don't even like me.”

"Oh, they like you.” He looked down and smiled at you. "A whole lot, actually. Even Suguru."

His hand bumped against yours as his thumb absently toyed with the charm on your wrist. "You'll see soon enough."

He led you to…a large square hole in the ground. It was about the size of a garage, with wooden stairs cut into the earth that led down to an ordinary-looking front door. There was even a small window set into the wall beside it. To you, it looked like someone buried the front section of a house underground.

"Here we are." Satoru swept his hand toward the pit. "Last stop.”

You narrowed your eyes. "He lives in the ground?"

"He prefers it that way. Though, a little more sunlight wouldn't hurt him, even if he acts like it does." He snickered

You went to take your first step down when Satoru caught your wrist. He let go but then held his hand out for you. You knew he didn't mean anything by it since the steps were steep and the wood looked kinda old, but your heart beat faster at his offer. You held onto his hand as he guided you down and he was careful to walk slower for you. When you reached the bottom he gave your hand a small squeeze before letting go.

He rapped his knuckles against the door and from the inside you heard someone shuffling around. The door creaked open, and a very, very pale looking man peered out at you both. From what you could make out, he had a black strip tattoo across his cheeks. The interior of his home was dim to the point of blackness and if it weren't for the afternoon light spilling in, you don't think you could sneak a peak inside like you're doing right now. He gave a pained hiss as Satoru opened his door wider.

"Satoru?" His nose scrunched. "Did you bathe in cologne this morning?"

He gave a few more experimental sniffs, and then his eyes drifted to you. You squirmed under his stony gaze. You had been walking around most of the day in a blouse and pencil skirt, but the weather had been pretty cool and you hadn't even broken a sweat.

Shit, is he just being polite? No, he said cologne, but Satoru's has worn off by now, hasn't it?

You winced. That meant one of two things: either you'd started noticing Satoru's scent faded off, or you'd gotten so used to it that you couldn't smell him anymore. Either option still made you look weird.

"Hello." Choso said, rubbing at his nose. "Sorry. I have a really sensitive nose, and you're kind of- " He bit his lip. "-a lot. No offense. Could we maybe talk out here?"

Your ears were burning as you took a step back. His eyes widened, and before you could stammer out an apology, he cut in.

"You don't smell bad." He said quickly. "It's more like…you have a lot of scents coming off you and one is really intense."

You let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out and pulled the door shut behind him, wincing as the sun caught him full in the face. Now that you could actually see him, you noticed the tattoo cut through his eyes and above his eyebrows, while two lines pointed downwards on his cheeks. The skin around his eyes was a deep, bruised pink, to a point it almost looked red. Despite the warm weather he wore a loose graphic sweater, sleeves pulled halfway over his knuckles and a pair of dark jeans.

What brought his punk rocker look all together was his massive bat wings. They were somewhat tucked against his back and nearly as tall as he was. The sun caught how thin the membrane was, and even scrunched up you could see the thin red branching of veins running through them. He let out a yawn, parting his lips to a pair of long fangs.

Cute.

While bat hybrids weren't nearly as rare as some of the others here but they were uncommon enough to be targets.

"I'm Kamo Choso." His voice rich and a little scratchy from lack of sleep. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You look exhausted." You blurted out, and backtracked. "Sorry. I mean, I won't keep you long. I just wanted to introduce myself as your new caretaker. Since you're nocturnal, I was wondering what time you're usually up."

"I…" His brows drew together. "I don't really know. My alarm's whenever my younger brother calls to say goodnight. Why?" His wings gave a small twitch. "Do you need me up earlier?"

“No, no.” You said, feeling bad. “I want to be as attentive to your needs as much possible but since we're up at different times, I wanted to adjust my sleeping schedule.”

"Oh!" He blushes. "The last caretaker was…" He worried at his lip with one of his fangs, the pink of his cheeks deepening. "…neglecting my needs."

"Yeah, about that." Satoru cut, throwing an arm around your shoulders. "I hired a non-hybrid this time. No more common-ancestor favoritism nonsense."

Choso gave you a weak smile. "Then I should tell you my wings are extra sensitive, and the membrane could tear if you're not too careful." He rolled a shoulder, the leathery wing on that side rustling faintly. “Sometimes I bite on instinct when people aren't too careful and I don't always notice how potent of draculin I'm using until it's too late." His fangs pressed into his lip. "So don't be afraid to make me ease up when that happens. I'd hate to hurt you.”

You nodded but you'd already known this. When you were younger, you’d developed a crush on a bat hybrid that would tutor you. He'd been patient with you as you asked hundreds of questions: Do you fly everywhere? Can you use echo location? Do you sleep hanging upside down? One day he'd let you touch his wings. That's when you'd discovered the membrane was thin, and having it tear felt like being cut. You wanted to ask him out, so you'd told your stepfather only for him to be fired. You'd lost your appetite that night, but it's not like you'd had one to begin with.

With him gone you'd done your own research. From that you'd found out that vampire bat hybrids needed blood which they usually got from cows. Then you'd learned that drinking human blood was illegal and considered taboo even among their own kind. Though you were sure people still did it anyway.

It didn't make the news, but their wings were poached the same way ordinary bat wings were, and that grave-robbing was an ugly problem in bat families.

Is that why he's here? Was he drinking blood? He said his wings are sensitive. Maybe they're unique and someone-

You then noticed Choso was staring at you, waiting for your response. Since almost everyone didn't even want to talk to you, you weren't expecting it and felt embarrassed.

“Right, sorry. I'd heard them being delicate, but your's are sensitive?”

“Since I am used to handling them myself, it's fine, but it becomes difficult with other people. Actually, the only other person I'm comfortable with is my younger brother, Yuji. He's away at college right now, but I still call him every night. My other brothers Eso, Kechizu, Noranso, Sho-oso, Tanso, Sanso, Kotsuso, and Shoso were all far too rough when we were growing up…” He trailed off as his eyes went dull.

You wanted to reached out but you stopped yourself. He seemed to have noticed and perked back up.

“I loved all of my younger brothers very much." He added quickly, giving you an awkward smile. "But Yuji…Yuji has always been so careful with me.” A wide grin spreads across his face and his eyes seem to gleam. "He's actually supposed to visit in a couple of weeks. Would you mind staying up for the night just so you can meet him?”

"Yeah, of course. I actually think I heard about Yuji earlier today. He's Sukuna’s nephew, right?”

Choso's wings went stiff and his eyes lost their gleam.

"Yuji has a lot of relatives," he said carefully. "Not all of them are good for him. Sukuna is… Yuji's made him better. That's all I'll say." His hands clenched and unclenched. "I can't say the same for everyone."

Beside you, Satoru had gone very quiet.

A cloud that’d been shading were he was standing slowly began to move causing Choso to wince as the sun shot directly into his eyes. He took a step back into the shade of his home.

"It is too bright for me to be awake right now." He offered you a tired smile. "Come back later? I'll tell you more about my brothers."

"I'd like that."

He nodded, wings shifting behind him, and slipped back inside.

꒷꒦˘꒷꒦꒷꒦˘꒷˘꒷꒦˘꒷˘꒦꒷˘꒷꒦꒷꒷˘꒷˘꒦꒷꒦ ◦ ｡ﾟ ° ∘ ﾟ｡ ◦ ﾟ｡ ♡ ∘ ° ﾟ｡ ◦◦

The sun climbed toward its peak as you and Satoru started back toward his house. The day wasn't even half over, yet your legs started to feel heavier. For a guy who wrangled hybrids all day, all this walking was nothing to him. For you, though…

"Alright, out with it. You don't have to sugarcoat how they are."

"Well." You rolled Kenjaku's charm between your fingers. "They were all lovely." You lie. "Though those first two I met. Isn't it going to be tougher winning them over? Men like that don't exactly open up to strangers."

"You'd be shocked." He tucked his hands behind his head. "Under all that bristle, those two need somebody to vent to about the old days. Give it a week and you won't be able to get them to stop talking."

You still question what they'd even want to talk to you about, but the image of two of them venting about their kids to you does dull their edges. Then again maybe he was setting you up.

You stilled the charm in your grip and looked up at him, though the sunglasses gave you next to nothing to read. Which reminded you: you'd need a pair of your own soon. The light was getting brutal.

"Hey, Satoru... do you mind if I head to my place to pack?" you asked, wiping a bead of sweat from your brow. "In case you missed it, I'm currently wearing my entire wardrobe."

"Actually." He scratched at the back of his neck. "Do you think packing could wait until tomorrow? I managed to clear my afternoon schedule, and I could really use a hand with some...administrative stuff."

You knew you shouldn't procrastinate, but then again, hanging out with Satoru sounded more appealing than packing up.

"Sure, but I'm packing first thing in the morning, no excuses."

"Want a hand with that?"

"No." You said to fast. Cheeks warming, unwilling to let him see the state you'd been living in. "I mean whew I've got it."

Your pace slowed to a crawl as your lungs burned, demanding more oxygen. The day wasn't even halfway over yet you were already getting tired. Sure, sitting on your ass all day while you applied for jobs wasn't the most physically challenging thing to do, but the fact that you were this out of shape was concerning.

Satoru slowed down as he brows knitted together. "You good?"

Too winded to speak, you gave him a nod.

"Ah, you're just tired. Lucky you turned down Hajime, huh? He'd never let you live it down if you tapped out in the first five seconds."

"Do you think..." you gasped, bracing your hands on your knees, "hah he'll show me some mercy if I tell him my cardiovascular system is garbage?"

"Nah, he's not one to half ass anything." He taps his chin in thought. "You know, someone here has feelings for you. They could carry you home and save your poor legs."

You felt you face flush. "Someone here has a thing for me?"

He nodded which made you feel flustered on top of being tired.

I guess that rules out Kenjaku and Suguru then.

"I can already tell what you're thinking, but don't count out Kenjaku or Suguru. Either one of them could ferry you across the lake.”

"Can I guess?"

He hums in thought before giving you a sly grin. "Tell you what. Whoever you guess, I'll let you be the one to ask them to carry you.”

You cringe as you picture it: Talking on Satoru's phone, convinced that they'd walk all the way over here just to carry you a few more miles. Having to listen to the long awkward silence before they reject you.

"No, I'll uh I'll keep walking."

The walk back took far longer than it should have, but you eventually dragged yourself through Satoru's front door.

You went straight to your room, peeled off your day-old clothes to take a shower, and changed into a borrowed pair of his sweatpants and a shirt big enough to swallow you whole. A cold draft licked at your ankles as you bent to gather your laundry — and that's when you noticed.

Your panties were gone.

You knew you'd kicked them toward the side of the bed that morning, but the floor was bare. There wasn't even a rug they could have accidentally wedged under. Your heart hammered against your ribs as you checked under the bed, behind the nightstand, and in the blankets for a third time. Finally, the icy realization settled in.

They were gone.

Anxious, you felt another cold chill and turned to close the window against the draft-

Close the window? But it was closed this morning

You slammed it shut, locking it as you stood there, frozen. Someone had been in here. While you were gone, someone had climbed through this window, into your room, and taken your underwear. But…who?

Obviously not Satoru and it couldn't have been his best friend, or Kenjaku. Narrowing it down didn't help much; for all you knew, they could’ve had a guest over that slinked in.

Should I tell him?

But that meant marching downstairs to accuse someone he clearly cares for of being a pervert. Someone he'd trusted for years, over a girl he'd known for a day.

Your stomach knotted at the thought. Less than twenty-four hours on the job and already stirring up trouble with the people he'd built this whole sanctuary to protect. No. You'd lock your windows and buy a camera. Handle it quietly.

Then a thought occurred.

Wait a minute. The hybrids here haven't lived conventional lives. Whoever took them probably operated on animal instinct and was just being curious. They don't even realize how deeply inappropriate it is! I'll get the camera, and if they break in again, I'll just firmly educate them on human boundaries.

The tension bled out of your shoulder, a near-disaster narrowly avoided. Relieved, you padded downstairs and found Satoru sprawled across the couch, remote dangling from his fingers as some movie flickering on the screen.

"This the 'administrative stuff' you needed help with?" You asked, crossing your arms.

He didn't even have the decency to look guilty. "I may have omitted the workload, but a minimum two hour break is mandatory. "He shrugs." I don't make the rules.

He patted the cushion next to him. Resigning yourself to his antics, you sat down beside him. He thumbed the movie to life again, and you recognized it as some horror flick, though not one you'd ever seen.

"I didn't peg you for a horror fan." You noted, turning to look at him.

Except he was much closer than you'd expected. The afternoon sun highlighting behind him, giving his face a soft glow. Had he moved closer to you? Not wanting to seem rude and move away, you leaned back into the couch to give yourself some breathing room

"Ehh." He waved his hand in a so-so motion. "I used to watch them with Megumi when he was little. Every now and then I'll rope Suguru into one, but our schedules never line up — busy single dad life and all that."

He yawned, his arms stretching wide, as his attention returned to the screen. Disappointment crept into your mind that he hadn't put his arm behind your head, then an extra layer topped it off — that you were disappointed to begin with.

An hour in, and it’s obvious the film isn’t...good. Still, it beats sitting alone in your room. On screen, the main character was sliced clean open, the villain hacking away until the body fell in two meaty halves across the floor.

"Aah, it's gotta be a fake-out. Either he's not really dead, or he was never the protagonist to begin with."

Satoru shrugged. His eyes stayed half-lidded and bored. "Honestly? I lost interest ten minutes in. Love the kid, but his taste in movies is garbage. Wanna watch something else?"

"Sure. What've you got?"

He leaned across you to grab the remote, his arm brushing your knee and started flipping. You caught a glimpse of his Recently Watched row as it scrolled by, and it was almost empty. You'd spent the last six months half-broke and hunting for work and you'd still managed to watch more than that.

You felt your heart twisting in your chest. Sure, you’d chalked up his overfamiliarity to his eccentric personality, but how much of that was from loneliness? When was the last time he actually sat down like this with someone? But, now that he's got help…maybe he'll finally start seeing other people.

You shouldn't be thinking about him like that anyway. He's not an option. He was never going to be an option.

He'd stopped scrolling and when you glanced over, he was grinning at the screen. The preview showed a woman locked in a passionate kiss with a rather large looking alien.

"They say love can span countries but can it span galaxies?" He read aloud, voice pitched into a mock movie-trailer baritone. "Can our heroine reach the heart of her intergalactic lover before it supernovas? Rated R. Contains: violence and gore, profanity, alcohol consumption, sex and nudity-" His eyes lighting up. "Oh, we're watching this."

He hits play and sinks back into the cushions, his weight shifting the sofa so you tip a little toward him. As he settles, he lets his legs fall open and his thigh rest against yours. He stretches with a low groan, and one arm drops behind you along the couch, draping close enough you can feel its warmth.

Against the odds, the movie has your attention. The heroine's father, disgusted by her alien lover, hired a group of men to kidnap her and drag her home. She lay in bed crying when the alien breaks in and almost kills her father with a light beam attack. She gets him to stop right before the killing blow and he carries her off in her arms.

In the next scene the alien cradled her face as they both lay in bed together.

"No one will ever come between us, my love.” The alien said, his eyes filled with infatuation. "I'll kill anyone who tries." He leaned in and kissed her.

Jesus. Your fingers curled against your thigh. Her dad's a piece of work, sure, but that's not — that's not kill-worthy. That's not love, that's-

Then the camera drifted lower to the heroine peeling off her clothes as the alien was moving over her, and then into her, as the sounds of moaning encased the quiet living room. Satoru did warn you there'd be a sex scene but you'd always been a prude so watching this in front of someone felt weird. You glanced at Satoru and he was watching the screen, unbothered, chin propped on his knuckles like it was a nature documentary.

He basically lives with eight men, of course he wouldn't care.

You forced your eyes back to the TV and tried to match his indifference.

The movie only got darker as it progressed. She'd broken up with him, wanting to just stay friends and he agrees as he invites her aboard his ship to hang out and try some of his food he'd been saving. The colors bled sideways and became hallucinogenic the more she ate, then the scene fractured and it cut to her asleep on his bed, a chain around her neck.

"Nobody's going to take you away from me. Ever."

Then the movie ended.

You hadn't expected that ending and stared at the screen.

"That was…" You turned to him. "…something."

"Yeah." Satoru pushed himself upright and stretched both arms up. His shirt rode up higher, past his navel and your eyes caught, just for a second.

It's white.

Your face went hot and you looked away.

"I was expecting way more. Every time it got interesting they cut to the next scene." He rolled his neck, a knuckle popping. "R rating for what, exactly? False advertising."

He looked down at you then, and his expression turned warm and fond.

"C'mon. It's already five. We should get dinner started." He patted your shoulder. "And I still owe you the Sukuna story.”

You followed him into the kitchen, where he'd already started pulling pots down from the overhead rack, the muscles in his back shifting under his shirt with each reach.

"So you just make regular spaghetti and stir squid ink into it?" You asked, reaching for the seasoning rack. Unlike last night, you weren't going to spend the whole time tripping over your own thoughts about him. Today you were a professional. A confident, independent professional.

"Close. I make the spaghetti from scratch and mix in the ink to the dough." He grabbed a knife and held it out to you handle-first. "Lucky you, I've got just enough premade left for tonight. You're on veggie duty."

Setting down a cutting board you got to work, but ending up slicing it wrong. You'd cut both ends off, so the layers kept sliding off, and your cuts came out uneven and chunky. You started on the garlic when he stepped in beside you.

"Trying to mince it? Don't saw at it, rock the blade. Here."

You passed the knife back and your fingers brushed, but you didn't think much of it, too busy watching his hands. He worked twice as fast as his fingers held the blade steady while his wrist helped rock him into each cut. The tendons flexed in his forearms as he tightened and loosened his grip around the knife to help guide each slice. You leaned in to watch and as quick as he started he was already done and scraping it into the pan.

He reached into the cabinet for a jar of marinara along with a jar of thick black liquid.

"Okay, I lied earlier. I do sneak a little extra into the sauce. Just don't tell Kenjaku, or he'll start charging me."

He upended both jars into the pan and the ink swallowed out the red. You poured the pasta into a colander, steam fogging your face, and when you turned you found him at the fridge instead of the stove — pulling out a leftover rice roll and, behind it, a bottle of coffee whiskey. He cracked the cap off and took a long swig, nearly halving it in one go.

"Wasn't really in the mood for Italian tonight, truth be told." He took a bite of the rice roll, talking with his mouth open. "Didn't want you feeling guilty about me cooking two nights in a row, so I had to trick you into wanting to." He shrugged, sheepishly. "I'll still hold up my end of the deal"

You gave him a warm smile. He'd engineered the evening just so you wouldn't feel like a burden. "Thanks, but I guess it doesn't really feel earned if I was the one cooking. Besides, I like cooking with you. Maybe,” Your cheeks felt flushed. “We can do it again sometime?”

"Of course." He plated your portion and heaped it high, way past a normal serving. "Anything for my favorite employee."

You sat down to eat and, just like last night, he pulled his chair in right next to yours. Your first bite hit different. The metallic undertone was sharper tonight, almost coppery on the back of your tongue. You chewed slow and chased it with a couple of the cherry tomatoes to cut it.

I guess he used more this time.

You twirled up another forkful and then the tingling started, creeping up from your stomach.

Wait.

You glanced at him. He was thumbing through his phone one-handed, knee bumping idly against yours, tipping the whiskey bottle back for another swallow to wash down his rice roll.

…did he add more because I liked it so much last time?

The thought pleased you more than it should have as the warmth kept spreading. Not just in your belly now but climbing to your brain making the edges of your vision soften. Last night was nothing compared to right. Right now you feel good.

Yeah. It felt good. Really really good.

You wound up another bite, twice the size of the last but you didn't care, you just wanted more. Needed something more, but for now you'd satisfy that craving with Satoru's cooking. You looked at him again and — oh, he was worse off than you were. All that whiskey made his eyes glassy and heavy. He gave you a lopsided from as he tried to shift his chair closer to you, except his elbow caught the table edge and he tipped, sliding right off the chair and into you.

You dropped you fork and immediately caught him, letting him rest against you for now. His body went slack as you held him, but he was heavier than you expected. Still, it felt like you're hugging a firm, muscular, delicious-smelling pillow as his heavy frame slumps against your chest. His earthy smell from walking all day clung to him and it made your mouth water more than your own food as he tucked his head into your shoulder and mumbled out a thank you.

"You're way too drunk." You got an arm under his and hauled, as he let you, boneless and giggling. "Come on. Let me…let me get you to bed.” Your voice trembling as the friction of his chest against yours sends sparks down your spine.

You slung his arm across your shoulders and pressed your palm flat to his bicep to steady him. His bicep felt soft and solid under your hand as you guided him towards the steps. The faint smell off his cologne had gone thick and syrupy in your head. Every breath of it dragged more and more into your lungs.

You got him up the stairs somehow despite how heavy he was. Even as his hip kept knocking into yours making you stumble and force more of height weight into you.

You eased him down onto the edge of his bed but before you could go he caught your wrist and tugged you down next to him. He reached up and slid his sunglasses off, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. When he looked at you, you were in awe at how ethereal blue his eyes were. They pinned you in place to stay right next to him.

"You know, you still haven't guessed who here has feelings for you." He murmured.

You let out a tipsy laugh. "And embarrass myself when they tell me no? I'll pass."

He pressed both hands to his chest like a wounded knight. The gesture was a little too slow, and theatrical but you were too fuzzy to really notice. "I swear on my life I won't tell. I'll give you eight chances. Go on. Start guessing." He held up eight fingers.

His knee nudged your thigh and you had to cross your legs as you felt them spreading.

"Is it Mahito? He was nice and gave me a notebook."

"Good guess, but nope. He's friendly with everyone new — jus' his personality. Same for Kenjaku and Choso, so save your breath on those." He tucked three fingers down.

Even sloshed his brain works faster than mine.

"Hajime?"

He shook his head. "He's not the carrying-you-home type, even if he liked you." He curled another leaving four more.

"Toji? He said I could stop by."

"Nope. He thinks you're nice, but whoever has likes you thinks you're cute." Another down giving you three left.

You worried your bottom lip. "Naoya, then?"

"Incorrect. That guy doesn't like anybody. You'll be earning his approval till you're old and grey." Two.

Your fingers drummed against his comforter to help you focus since your mind was so clouded. Your legs uncrossed without your permission, and somehow it ended up resting on top of his. You yanked it back with a mumbled apology, but your face was on fire as you did.

"Then… uh Kuna. Sukuna, I mean."

"He'll gut you if he hears you call him that, but no." Satoru's free hand slid over and covered yours, stopping your movement and unintentionally dulling your focus. His thumb rubbed across your knuckles. "One more."

"Then it has to be Suguru."

He shook his head. "I can't believe you didn't guess." He folded his last finger down and playfully punched you in the shoulder. "It's me, dummy."

You felt like your heart stopped beating.

"You? As a friend?"

"Don' make me spell it out. Haven't felt like this about anybody in a loooong time. Guess I needed a lil'...lot of liquid courage."

His hand left yours and came up to twirl your hair. He moved and thumbed at the shell of your ear as he gave a slurred giggle at how hot they were. Exposing how you felt about him.

"It gets so lonely out here." His eyes went heavy, dropping to your lips. "We don't have to be lonely tonight."

Then he leaned in and kissed you.

His tongue traced the seam of your lips, patiently asking for your permission, and when you opened up for him you tasted the coffee whiskey still warm on his tongue. It tasted sweeter than you expected — more familiar, but you could barely think as he moaned into the kiss.

Despite this being the second time you've ever kissed someone it was divine. Whereas Naoya's was demanding and dominating, Satoru's was guiding and relaxed.

His hand slid up to cradle the back of your neck. Then he tipped backwards, pulling you down with him, and suddenly you were sprawled across his chest with his tongue in your mouth and his hips rolling up into yours,

When you finally broke apart to breathe his pupils were blown out. The blue swallowed down to a hairline ring. Without fumbling, his hands dropped between you and shoved his sweatpants down. The bulge in his boxers was...God, it was-

He caught your wrist and guided your palm down to it. Helping you curl your fingers around the shape of his cock through the fabric of his boxers, guiding you drunkenly into the first stroke. Showing you the pace he wanted until his hips chased against your fingers on his own.

"Yes fuck that's it princess." He moaned drunkenly.

Drunkenly

Drunk.

…he's drunk.

The word bounced around your skull and alarm bells you started ringing off.

You froze. Then, with every ounce of will you had left, you pulled your hand back and pushed yourself upright. His face darkened as you slipped away and he caught your wrist again.

"Satoru." You kept your voice as level as you could. "I like you. A lot. But you're drunk."

His hand landed on your inner thigh and his pinky stroked along the sensitive skin. "Who cares if I'm drunk. I want you. 'n you want me."

You did. God, you did. Your body was screaming at you to keep going.

"Then tell me tomorrow when you're sober." You searched his face, hopeful, wanting him to say yes so badly it hurt. "Promise?"

His face sobered up as his jaw worked. His fingers on your thigh went still, before squeezing you too tightly, then easing up.

"I…" He dragged a hand down his face, hard, pressing into his eyes to resolve whatever was going on in his head. When he lowered it he wouldn't meet your eyes. "I hate drinking."

You waited, smiling hopefully.

He glanced up. Whatever he saw on your face made his mouth press flat.

"But tonight I…" He sighed and shook his head. "I'm not thinking straight."

He looked away from you.

You nodded in understanding even as your chest ached. Standing up was difficult, and you felt like you were walking through water as you turned to leave.

"Get some sleep, okay?"

He didn't answer you, instead his jaw was clenched so tight you could see the muscle jump.

You clicked his light off before pulling the door closed.

The hallway felt a million times cooler on the walk back to your room. Your legs were unsteady, and once you shut yourself inside, you realized you were shaking. It's not close to your biggest concern right now, but you're glad your window is still locked shut. You collapse into bed, your mind racing as you stare at the ceiling.

He was so confident earlier. All day in fact.

You rolled onto your side.

So why did he need to get that drunk just to say it? Sukuna said he was a big drinker. Was he trying to sound cool in front of me?

You grab your new phone and stare at his contact debating whether or not you should text him. Instead you chicken out and reached for Mahito's notebook.